1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chip conveyor for use in conjunction with another chip conveyor to remove chips from machine tools, and a machining system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a machining system having plural machine tools, e.g., a flexible transfer line, chips created during machining of workpieces are removed by a chip conveyor from the machining system. Two types of the chip conveyors are generally used, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIG. 1 shows a machining system having a single chip conveyor 100 servicing a plurality of (i.e., four) machine tools 102a to 102d spaced along a transfer direction TD. Workpieces W to be machined by the machine tools 102a to 102d are delivered in the transfer direction TD for the next machining.
The chip conveyer 100 extends under each machining area of the machine tools 102a to 102d. Chips generated in the machine tools 102a to 102d are carried by the chip conveyor 100 to a chip container 101 outside of the machining system. Since the length of the chip conveyor 100 depends on the number of the machine tools or the length of the machining system, the chip conveyor must be reconstructed for every change in number of the machine tools of the machining system.
FIG. 2 shows another machining system having a plurality of chip conveyors 110a to 110d, each of which respectively serves one of the machine tools 112a to 112d spaced along a transfer direction TD. Each of the chip conveyers 110a to 110d extends under the machining area of a machine tool 112a to 112d in a direction C1 intersecting the transfer direction TD. Chips generated in each of the machine tools 112a to 112d are respectively carried by the chip conveyors 110a to 110d to corresponding chip containers 111a to 111d. The machining system thus requires the same number of the chip containers 111a to 111d as chip conveyors 110a to 110d.